Nevada County picayune., 1887-03-16

MT. Mlldmay<S plan along.
 ''I wish could spare some thing,' she said, ''if it was only a dollar!"
 "l wish you could, my dearw said gentle Mrs. Hay, who had overheard the eager words.
 "Mother," cried Mary. '.there are the quinces--tle quinces down by the railroad! Why couldn't I sell them at the store! The trees hang. full this year, and the fruit is beautifully perfectm
 Il never thought of that" said Mrs. Hay. "We'll go tomorrow and gather them, Mary-you and I.n
 Mary went singing about her work that afternoon. Her heart was light as any feather. Why, why had she not remembered the quince-tree before? Quinces were rare and high priced this season, and she was certain of at least five dollars for the crop.
 But the next day, when she and her motlier--Mrs. Hay carrying the basket and Mary merrily trund. ling the barrow along before her. went down to the orchard. whose slopes extended to the gllttering steel lines of the railway, To and behold! the trees were utterly stripped of their golden load.
 Mary burst into tears. She sat down on the edge of the wheel barrow and hid her head in her mothers apron like child
 "Oh, mother, who has done thisw she cried "Who can have been so wicked--so cruel!"
 "Its the boys, Pm afraid.' said Mrs. Hay. Don't fret, daughter don't! It's done, and it can't be helped"
 "The boys never served us so before" said Mary between her sobs. "Yes, mother, you are right, it can't be helped. Le: us go home. There is an end of the subscription money now"
 Slowly and sadly the two wo. men toiled back up the hill with the whcelbarrow and the basket. Mir. Hay, just return ed from the harvest field, heard their story with amazement.
 its the first lime that ever tree of mine was robbed" said he. "I didn't know as we had such boys in this neighborhood. But, look. here, Polly, don't cry" lay ing his broad brown hand sOoth- ingly on his daughters shoulder. "lts always darkest just before daylight. Here's a five dollar gold piece that Mrs, Blake paid me for the hay in the up medder. l was going to take it toward the taxes, but l guess taxes can waltz "No. father, said Mary, "our just debts are our just debts. l oughtn to touch this money"
 "Squinces, eh, said Luke Lar rabec, who had come in with the stone pitcher for gallon of Mrs. Hays cider vinegar. "Squinces is mighty scass this season. l see Mrs. Biggard's folks doin' up sight on lem when was over there this morning. Mrs. Biggard she's dredful churchy, you know, and, the parson he'd said he was par. tial to preserved squinces; and there was she and Ruey and All miry tuckerin' in like all possessed to get lem done. Says l.:
 "'Why, whar did ye git all them 'ere squinces!
 Says she:
 "'I bought lem of boy at the door,
 Says l:
 "'No, ye didn't. Eleeta Biggard; ye got lem last night outen Farmer Hays side,hill squinch orchard, clus' to the railroad,' says I; "cause l seen you and Ruey a-car- ryin' the clothes basket between you, cram jam full O big, yaller squinces.'
 And so did, for our COW she got outen the field and wandered quite ways down the railroad, and 1 was a.huntn' of her by moon- light, when seen lem from behind them sassairas bushes down by the track. Wal, yoa should have seen her turn redder than the big bell-peppers out in the garden s,at.h Savc she.